Artificial bait.



Patented Sept. 5, I899.

M/VENTOH Edward llfial'es E. T. DUKES.

AB'HFICIAL BAIT.

Application filed June 21, 1899.? (No Model.)

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m: Momma PETERS w, Pnc'roumon wuumawx a c N'IE STATES IA'TEN'I OFFICE.

EDIVARD T. DUKES, OF QUITMAN, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO DUKES & 00., OF SAMEPLACE.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,554, datedSeptember 5,1899. Application filed June 21, 1899. Serial lilo. 721,338.(No modeld To (.tZZ whom. it 'II'b/LZ/ concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. DUKES, of Quitman, in the county of Brooksand State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful structions andcombinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 is an edge view, ofthe bait. Fig. is an enlarged side view of the head of the bait, andFig. 4 is a detail section on about line 4 4c of Fig. 3.

The bait hasa body A, of a thin plate of aluminium or other suitablematerial, whose edge contour resembles that of a minnow, and the plateis twisted spirally to insure its rapid rotation when drawn quicklythrough the water. The edge of the body is slitted at B, forming thefin-like portions 0, which are deflected from the plane of the adjacentportions of the body A and aid as propellers in securing the desiredrotation of the bait in the water. In practice I color and decorate thebait to make it more closely resemble a living fish.

In attaching the hooks I seek to so arrange and connect them as to offerthe least possible resistance to the rotation of the spirallytwistedbait-body, to secure them so that they can be readily applied andremoved at will, and to so arrange the means for securing the hooks nearthe head end of the body that it will present the appearance of an eyewhen the bait is rapidly revolved. To avoid retarding the rotation ofthe bait-body, I arrange the hooks in pairs, one on each side of thebaitbody, and secure them to the latter on its axial line. By this meansthe hooks readily revolve as the body is rotated and permit the body torotate evenly and swiftly, as desired.

In the construction shown I employ hooks E E, slightly in rear of thehead end of the body, and hooks F]? at about midway between the ends ofthe body; also, hooks G at the tail end thereof.- The hooks E and F maybe alike and secured in the same manner by the rings E and F, alsoalike. The rings E and F are passed through openings II and I, formedthrough the body A, on the axial line thereof, and adjacent to theseopenings are the slots H and I, which permit the play of the rings ininserting and removing the same and also under the strain of the victimwhen caught by either hook of the pair.

The rings E and F may be solid; but I prefer to make them in the form ofsplit rings, as shown, as it facilitates the application, removal, andinterchange of the hooks, as may be desired. The ring E is locatedslightly in rear of the head end of the bait-body and being arrangedaxially and lying partly on opposite sides of thebait-body presents theappearance of the eye of a fish when the baitbody is rapidly rotated.This deceptive appearance is heightened by producing on both sides ofthe body A by suitable markings circles A, concentric with the ring Eand cooperating therewith in producing the eye effect when the bait isrotated.

The bait can be used as a troll, with a long line astern a boat or witha short line to play on the surface in front of a boat, as may bedesired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An artificial bait having the body thereof formed from a flat pieceof material and provided between its ends with an opening for thehook-securing ring, and adjacent to said opening with a slot for theplay of said ring, the ring passed through said opening and projectingthrough the slot on opposite sides of the bait-body, and the hooksconnected with said ring and lying on opposite sides of the bait-bodysubstantially as set forth.

2. An artificial bait having the body thereof formed from a flat stripof metal twisted to insure its rotation when drawn through the water,and provided at a point slightly in rear Y forming the fin portionswhich are deflected from the plane of the adjacent portions of the body,the latter being provided with openings for the hook-holding rings andadjacent to said openings with slots, the lap-rings passed through saidopenings and playing in the adjacent slots, and the hooks secured bysaid rings and lying on opposite sides of the twisted body, the openingsfor the hook-holding rings being arranged in the axial line of thebait-body all substantially as and for the purposes set forth. p

EDWARD T. DUKES. Vitnesses:

J. D. MORTON, O. K. J ELKS.

